Channel 5's original two-year Big Brother deal with Endemol included one celeb edition and one non-celeb edition of the show each year.

Amy Childs, Jedward, Kerry Katona, Frankie Cocozza and Bobby Sabel have been among the contestants on the reality show since it moved away from its original broadcaster Channel 4.

According to The Guardian, the non-celeb Big Brother has been cut back to ten weeks to accommodate the second celebrity series. However, the ten-week non-celeb run is still longer than last year's Big Brother.

The purchase of Celebrity Big Brother has generally been regarded as a smart move by Channel 5 as it has secured it some of its highest ratings in its history and helped the broadcaster regularly beat Channel 4 and even on occasions ITV1 and BBC Two in the 10pm timeslot.

Rumours about the new celeb series lineup have already begun circulating, with the Daily Star recently suggesting that footballer Freddie Ljungberg may be taking part in the show.